CCS3: Illusions of Love
by Gentlewolf
Summary: This follows my Sequel to the anime, CCS-2. Sakura & Syaoran have graduated from High School and are about to start college. However, a few trials await them. Is their love strong enough to survive?
1. Prologue

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Prologue:_

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**Author Note:**

Finally, for those of you who have been waiting ever so patiently, (and I thank you for that) it is the continuing story of _Sakura & Syaoran_ from **Cardcaptor Sakura** following my sequel to the anime, **CCS-2**.

It'll get better, I promise. This prologue and the first chapter are mostly just setting the scene. I already have Ch. 1 written and am just waiting for it to be proofread before I post it. I will be starting to write Ch. 2 tomorrow.

**Disclaimer:** **Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP.** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy, and please Review.

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"I am going to miss you SO much!" Tomoyo cried on Sakura's shoulder. The two young women were standing by the security gates at Haneda, the Tokyo International Airport.

Sakura held her dearest friend, caressing Tomoyo's back in soothing little strokes. "It's not like we're not going to see each other again. Besides, you'll be leaving for Paris tomorrow," Sakura reminded Tomoyo.

"But we're going to be thousands of miles apart!" Tomoyo wailed in-between sniffles, "How will I get the measurements for your clothes if you're in Hong Kong and I'm in Paris!?" Tomoyo's bawling became louder as she clung onto Sakura, desperate not to let her go. They had been best friends for nearly ten years so it was difficult to imagine that they would soon be so far apart from each other.

___"Now, I promised you that I would have my measurements taken regularly and that I would send them to you," Sakura reminded her, gripping onto Tomoyo's shoulders and giving her a gentle push so that she could look Tomoyo in the eyes. Sakura's smile was stunning but today it was even more radiant, for it was meant for Tomoyo._

_"__Just think, Tomoyo, you'll finally be studying Fashion Design! That's your dream, remember?" Sakura said, continuing to remain cheerful for Tomoyo's sake, "You can visit any time and call whenever you want. Goodbyes aren't forever," she added, reminding her friend of the words and promises they had exchanged last night, discussing then how they would stay in touch. Sakura didn't want to be mean, but she still had her Father to say goodbye to before going through security and to her gate. She loved Tomoyo dearly, but now wasn't the best of times for her to break down._

Tomoyo seemed to sense Sakura's unspoken thoughts, as she always did, and took a step back. She pulled out a handkerchief from her purse and wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm acting like a child," she apologized.

"No! Not at all," Sakura started to say, now feeling guilty for being insensitive. "This is the first time we've gone to separate schools since the third grade," Sakura said, her voice beginning to waver as tears filled her eyes.

"Now, don't you start too!" Tomoyo exclaimed. "We'll see each other again soon! I'll visit over New Years." They embraced again and Tomoyo released her to say goodbye to her Father.

Fujitaka was standing a few feet away observing their interaction. He smiled one of his comforting smiles as Sakura approached him for a hug. She fell into his embrace and he held her for a moment as she cried into his shirt. After he released her, Sakura sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I promised myself that I wouldn't cry," she whimpered.

Fujitaka ruffled his daughter's short hair. She had recently cut it and it was now in the same style that she had worn as a kid. It suited her better than the long hair she had grown out through high school. "I'm going to miss you, Kiddo," he said, "What am I going to do with myself knowing that both you and your brother have moved out?"

Sakura couldn't help but to smile. "You haven't gotten rid of me, yet," she warned, "I'll be back during vacations, so you better not mess up my room."

Fujitaka grinned and hugged her one last time before shooing her towards the security gate, "You better get going; your flight is already here."

Standing on her tiptoes, Sakura kissed her father's cheek before turning to give Tomoyo one last hug. She gathered her carry-on bag and her purse and made her way to the line. Thankfully, it didn't take long and once she was on the other side, she turned to wave one last time. "Goodbye," she called to her father and to her best friend, "I'll call you when I get there."

Sakura made her way through the terminal towards the gate where the Li's private jet was waiting for her arrival. She found Wei waiting for her there. "Ohayo gozaimasu Sakura-san," he greeted her with a bow.

"Ohayo, Wei-san," Sakura greeted Syaoran's personal butler and trainer.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-san, but Syaoran-sama could not make it here to pick you up," Wei explained as they walked out to board the jet. "He had some unexpected business to tend to this morning, but he promised that he would be waiting for your arrival in Hong Kong," he explained further, referring to the Hong Kong International Airport.

Sakura nodded and offered a smile of understanding. "It's okay," she said, "To be honest, I was expecting something like this to happen."

Syaoran had returned to Hong Kong after their high school graduation in the spring to attend to more formalities. It was now fall. Sakura had stayed in Japan until now to work so that she could pay for some of her own expenses in China. Though the Li clan insisted on paying for her education and that she lived with them, she didn't want to be dependent on them for spending money too. She expected that he would be busy with clan business; he had been ever since he arrived back in Hong Kong. On the occasions that they had been able to talk over the phone he had shared with her some of his moments of training and tests on his martial arts skills as well as some of the aspects required of him to learn before he would be allowed to take over leadership of the clan.

Sakura settled into her plush seat while Wei loaded her carry-on bag into a storage compartment. This wasn't her first time flying in the Li's private Jet. Having been betrothed to Syaoran since their first year of middle school, when Syaoran returned to Japan after she had successfully turned the Clow cards into Sakura cards, she had been to Hong Kong on many various occasions with him.

A commotion coming from the back of the jet, where the storage compartment was, reminded her that Kero had been sleeping in her carry-on bag. Kero came flying at full speed in her direction. "You forgot about me again, didn't you?!" the miniature version of one of her guardian's exclaimed with his arms crossed over his chest, "What if I had suffocated in there?!"

"Gomen ne…" Sakura apologized, raising her hands into a prayer position in front of her face and bowing her head.

Kero continued to glare at her for a moment until Wei appeared from the back of the jet carrying a huge basket full of candies and sweets. "Kero-san, won't you come and make yourself comfortable?" Wei asked, nodding towards a huge plush seat.

Kero's eyes nearly bulged out of his head. The smell of freshly baked goodies soon reached his nose and he drifted over to the seat, where he settled down onto the overstuffed cushion. Wei set the basket of sweets and pastries on the table in front of him and Kero wasted no time diving into it. Now that he had a basket of delicious goodies to distract himself with, all was forgiven. Wei smiled knowingly down the aisle at Sakura, who settled back into her seat with a sigh of relief.

"Yue-san is not coming along?" Wei appeared at her side to ask.

Sakura shook her head to answer that he wasn't. "I have given him permission to stay with Nii-chan as Yukito," she explained. Wei nodded in understanding and left her to her thoughts as he went to ready the aircraft for departure.

Sakura thought back to the night after graduation when Touya and Yukito were still visiting at the house. Yue appeared suddenly at her bedroom door without a sound. There was no telling how long he had been standing there watching as Sakura sorted through her belongings and organized her room. Kero wasn't there; he was still down stairs, finishing off Sakura's graduation cake and the sweets from her graduation party. She jumped and dropped the box that she was carrying when she turned around to find him there. "Y…y…yue? What's wrong? It's not often that you come to see me in this form," Sakura stammered and dropped to the floor in order to pick up the contents of the box that had spilled out.

Because times had been peaceful ever since Kuen-Jie had been defeated, Yue lived with Touya as Yukito. Sakura didn't object to the arrangement. Yukito had told her once before, a long time ago, that Touya was the person that he liked the most, so it didn't come as a surprise when they officially announced their relationship. After replacing her things into the box she stood and took it to her closet, where she placed the box on the top shelf. She then turned to face Yue, who was still being silent, and gave him an inquiring glance.

Sakura was caught by surprise when the usually cool and unapproachable Yue suddenly fell to his knees at her feet. Sakura stared down at him with wide eyes of shock when he grabbed her hands and bent his head over them as if he were praying. "Y…Y…Yue?" Sakura stuttered his name and shifted on her feet uncomfortably.

"Master, I feel torn," Yue told her in a strained voice.

"W…what??" Sakura blurted out in panic, pulling her hands free. With immediacy she began to inspect his body for signs of a wound. "What happened? Where are you hurt?" she exclaimed with a voice full of concern.

Yue stopped her by placing his hands at her hips. "I am not physically hurt, Sakura-san," he told her with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Then, what's wrong?" Sakura asked and blinked in confusion. When his expression shifted from cold and unfeeling to pleading and painful she didn't believe him and nearly began to look for evidence of a wound again.

"I love you as my master. Through the years you have proven yourself again and again as worthy of being my master and as being a powerful magic user," he told her.

Sakura blushed and her knees felt weak. He was looking up at her with a love and devotion that she hadn't ever seen from him before. When her legs nearly gave out she felt him hug around her legs and become her support. It felt for a moment as if her feet weren't even touching the floor, as she realized that she could nearly be sitting on the hold that he had around her legs. To her surprise, her heart leapt and her head suddenly felt dizzy. "Y…Yue… you are overwhelming me…" she spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper as she realized that his powers from the moon were having an effect on her.

Sakura barely felt him move as he set her on the edge of her bed and released his hold. He stayed kneeling in front of her and laid his head in her lap. "I feel torn because, while I love my master very much, I have come to realize and acknowledge another who I love." He turned his head to the side to speak.

Understanding filled her face as she looked down at him. She caressed his face with gentle strokes and ran her fingers through his long white tresses as she spoke what she intended to be words of reassurement, "It is okay, Yue, I do not need you to come with me. I will have Syaoran and Kero by my side if anything happens."

Yue looked up suddenly with a painful expression. "So, my master no longer needs me."

Realizing her wrongly chosen words Sakura took a sharp breath over the misunderstanding. "No, Yue," she spoke with gentleness in her voice. "I just think that Nii-chan needs you more," she explained and was relieved as the gentle look began to return to his eyes. "If anything happens, I can always summon you," she explained. Throughout the years, she had been working to improve her magic and learning how to create new cards. One successful attempt was The Summon, which instantly called her guardians to her side. It was sort of like a teleport, except that it only worked on Kero, Yue, and her cards. Because of the Summon card, as long as it was in her deck, she only needed to call out the name of the card that she needed, and it would appear before her. It saved her time of having to shuffle through the deck for the card that she wanted.

Yue looked up at her with joy and relief. She had to admit that she hadn't ever seen him so happy. Before she could react he pulled her down into his lap to hug her. Again, her head began to spin; she wasn't use to him being around like Kero was and his magic kept having an effect on her.

The sound of the jet jolting into motion brought her back to the present. She stared out of the window and watched the scenery pass by, knowing that soon she would be starting the next stage of her life.


	2. Ch 1: Sakura's Arrival

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Ch. 1 – Sakura's Arrival_

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**Author's Note:** Again, this chapter is setting the scene and tying this story to **CCS-**2. If you haven't read my **Cardcaptor Sakura Sequel, CCS-**2 it is probably okay, I don't think you'll be lost. However, if you're curious about who _Kuen-_Jie is, you may want to read it, if you haven't already. I will be working on Ch. 2 asap. I have a few things to tend to first, but it should be within the next day or two. Please look forward to it!

**Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP.** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy, and please comment. I'd really like to know what you, my readers, think. ^_^

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Sakura stood in the door of the Li family's private jet at their private hanger. She found Syaoran waiting for her on the ground at the bottom of the stairs into the aircraft. Sakura was wearing one of Tomoyo's outfits, the style of which wasn't like the crazy creations that she used to make back during Sakura's card capturing days. This outfit was actually quite practical and mature. It was a "long t-shirt" that was worn as a dress. The length came to just above her knees. The sleeves were 3/4 length and the neck line was round. It was black with a thick line of pink cherry blossoms "falling" from the right shoulder down diagonally across the front. A pink crocheted belt was worn loosely around her waist. Her shoes were black knee high boots. She wore a pink crocheted hat and a pink crocheted scarf. At the age of 18 she was slender, with the type of body that many would call a runway model.

"Syaoran!" she called with a wave from the top of the stairs before she rushed down them, full of excitement. She hadn't seen him in nearly 6 months. About four steps from the ground she leapt at him. Syaoran caught her effortlessly while laughing at her excitement. For once, Sakura had the chance to look down at him, as he held her off of the ground. She placed her hands on his cheeks and kissed him feverishly. "I missed you!" she stated the obvious. Syaoran smiled up at her and hugged her.

"Okay, Okay, break it up you two! There will be plenty of time for that when you're married," Kero stated as he flew towards them from the door of the jet. Sakura blushed and Syaoran lowered her feet to the ground. Standing next to him, she was about 10 centimeters shorter then he was. He was dressed in a pair of slacks with a green Chinese style long sleeved shirt.

"How was your flight?" he asked, taking her carryon bag and then her hand to lead her away from the jet.

"Rather enjoyable," she replied cheerfully.

Most of her luggage had already been delivered to the Li's mansion. She carried her purse and Kero fluttered after them to the awaiting limo. Once in the vehicle, Syaoran cuddled her as they waited for Wei.

"You two are way too lovey-dovey," Kero complained as he settled on the seat across from them.

"You're just jealous," Sakura teased her little guardian. "I think that I'm going to have to make a female companion for you."

"You can do that?" both Kero and Syaoran exclaimed in astonishment.

"Well, no. Not yet. But I'd like to try it one day. Clow created Kero and Yue after all. So I'm sure that it's something I can figure out," Sakura replied.

Syaoran kissed her hair. "You never cease to amaze me."

Soon, Wei opened the front passenger side door and nodded to the driver. The limo then pulled away from the hanger and continued to drive home. Knowing that he wouldn't get to spend much time with her once they arrived at the mansion, Syaoran took advantage of this time with her and continued to hold her while listening to her chatter about what was going on in Japan. "Rika and Terada sensei have set their wedding date," she told him in excitement. "I'd like to attend. It will be in the spring," she looked at him for his response. He was stroking a strand of her short cropped hair. Though he was looking directly at her, his expression was distant. "Syaoran?" she spoke his name, curious as to whether or not he even heard what she was saying.

"Humm?" he answered, his voice sounding dreamy and deeper than usual.

Sakura blinked at him in wonder. "Syaoran? Are you even listening?"

"You cut your hair," he said, still stroking the strands that peeked out from under her crochet hat. "It brings back old memories," he smiled and his eyes finally focused on her face. Sakura blushed and looked down at her hands, momentarily stunned into silence.

Kero rolled his eyes at them and tapped on the window that separated the front and back seats. When it was opened he fluttered through it. Watching those two was too sickeningly sweet, and even his sweet-tooth couldn't handle it.

They arrived at the Li Mansion 45 minutes later. Wei opened the back door of the limo for them and Syaoran led her up the front walk. He paused at the door before opening it and raised his hand to stroke her cheek. Sakura tilted her head and looked up at him with curiosity. For a moment, Syaoran considered running away with her, knowing what awaited her inside, but rather than face the wrath of all of the women of the Li family, he pushed the door open and gestured for her to walk inside.

Sakura crossed the threshold and was overwhelmed by a chorus of, "Welcome home," and "Congratulations." She was caught by surprise when Meilin pounced on her, closely followed by all 4 of Syaoran's sisters. "Hoe!!!" she exclaimed for the first time in years.

Sakura was led further into the house by the escort of 5 women. She soon discovered that there were many visitors, most of whom she had met before but didn't remember their names. She recognized a few of the clan elders and some of the other members of the Li family. Her head was spinning from the mass of conversations going on around her. Though she had learned Chinese, she was having difficulty translating so many conversations at once. She looked back over her shoulder for Syaoran and found that he was still standing by the door. She gave him a pleading look for help but he only mouthed that he was sorry and watched her apologetically.

"Congratulations on your graduation, Sakura-san. Welcome home," Sakura turned to find Syaoran's mother, Li Yelan, speaking to her in Japanese, much to her relief.

"Xie xie, Thank you," Sakura responded in Chinese.

That afternoon Sakura was kept busy with her surprise welcome & graduation party. She was constantly surrounded by Syaoran's sisters and Meilin, who walked her around the rooms to reintroduce her to the guests. Everyone gave her their congratulations and spoke with her for a moment about what she would be taking in college, or how pretty she had become and how lucky Syaoran was. She couldn't even sit down for a break without being surrounded and approached by someone. She began to wonder if she could get use to this kind of a life and yearned to be back at her quiet and peaceful little home in Japan. The only break that she could get was when she made the excuse that she had to go to the bathroom. Even then, it took forever for her to make it there, having to cross the crowded room and being stopped every so often by someone who wanted to speak with her.

Once in the bathroom she closed the door behind her and locked it. Sliding down the door to the floor she rested her head back against it with a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. Her head was pounding. Couldn't Syaoran have warned her about this, she wondered, but then reasoned that even as the heir of the clan, his sisters and mother were probably too much to contend with.

Sakura jolted when there was a knock on the door. "Sakura? Are you alright?" Syaoran's voice filtered through the door. Sakura stood to unlock and open the door. She peeked out to verify that he was alone before pulling him into the bathroom with her. After she closed and locked the door again she approached him to rest her forehead against his chest. She felt him wrap his arms around her slender form. "Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

"I'm not used to this. I have a headache. Why didn't you warn me about this??" she rattled off in exhaustion.

Syaoran gave her a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry, it couldn't be helped. It's impossible to oppose my mother or sister's, and I was threatened with bodily harm if I told you."

Sakura looked up at him and quirked an eyebrow. "What kind of bodily harm could they possibly do to you?" she asked with a hint of surprise in her voice.

Syaoran smirked at her question. "You don't want to know."

Sakura laughed at the thought and rested against him.

"We will be having dinner soon. Things will calm down then," he told her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

Sakura sighed, unwilling to go back out into the lion's den, but realized that she should go soon before someone came looking for her and caught them both in the bathroom together.

Reluctantly, Sakura returned to the party under the agreement that Syaoran would stay by her side. Their appearance together changed the topic of conversation and soon everyone was talking about how good they looked together or if a date had been set yet for their wedding. The thought made her head spin. How could they possibly get married when they both had 4 years or more of college to go through?

Dinner was served in the large dining hall. Sakura had been in the room on a couple of occasions in the past, but it never ceased to amaze her how large the room was. The long dining tables were obviously made to order. Together, there were 4 in all, and every seat was taken. Conversations turned into a quiet buzz and Sakura finally found that she was able to think.

After the main course, everyone gathered back into the banquet room for dessert and "quiet" conversation. One by one people began to leave, wishing Sakura luck in her endeavors. When the last guest finally left, Sakura sank deeply into a chair with a sigh of relief. "You must be tired," Yelan noted. "I'm sure you would like to turn in early, since your classes start tomorrow." Sakura nodded. "Your things have all been put in your room," the woman stated and helped Sakura to her feet.

"Thank you, Li-san," Sakura replied.

Yelan hugged her and then framed Sakura's face with a hand on each of cheek. "I am very happy that you are here. If you ever need anything, please come to me."

Sakura was touched. Syaoran's mother was always so nice to her, despite the woman's regal appearance. "Thank you," Sakura replied. When she was released, Sakura took advantage of the opportunity, while Syaoran's sisters were distracted, to retreat to her room.

Her room had always been the same, ever since she had first visited during the conflict with Kuen-Jie. She climbed the stairs to the second floor and walked down the hall. Her room was right next to Syaoran's, where she had been put years ago for her protection when the rebel elder, Kuen-Jie wanted to kill her and take the cards for his own use. She opened the door to find the room cluttered with gifts. She concluded that they must have been brought today for her welcome/graduation party. She always received more gifts then she knew what to do with whenever she came to Hong Kong. She really wasn't sure if it was because she was Syaoran's fiancé or because she was the owner of the, once known as, "Clow cards." Probably both, she reasoned. She walked further into the room, which contained a reproduced antique Chinese daybed made of cherry-wood, with a matching bedside table, 7-drawer dresser with mirror, and armoire. At the foot of the bed there was an antique style Chinese stool with a pillow top that had been claimed as Kero's bed. There was a single bay window in the room, which contained a window seat and a gorgeous view of the garden. A beautiful scroll painting on silk showing three cranes among peach trees hung on the wall across from the bed. Sakura noted a new piece of furniture that had been added since the last time she was there. On the wall beneath the scroll there sat a beautiful cherry-wood desk. Sakura approached it and ran her hands over the ornate designs that had been carved into the wood to match the rest of the bedroom set. On top of the desk there sat a computer.

Sakura was too tired to be excited about the additions to her room. She found her luggage and rummaged through it for a pair of pajamas. She then went to the bathroom, which was shared between her room and the spare room next to hers. After locking the door that led from the bathroom into the spare room she quickly changed and then retired to her bed for the night.


	3. Ch 2: HKU

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Ch. 2: HKU_

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**Author Note:** Humm... Just a little foreshadowing. Bwahahaha *evillaugh*

I have homework that I've been neglecting. Unfortunately, I need to get it done. It shouldn't take me long, and I'll start working on Ch. 3. Please look forward to it. :XD:

**Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP.** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy! :XD:

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Sakura woke early the next morning, before dawn. Reaching for her bedside table, she switched on a small reading lamp. The dull light illuminated her bed. Looking around, she could make out the objects of the room by their shadowy forms. Kero was sleeping on the pillow top, Chinese style stool at the foot of her bed. The digital clock on her desk read that it was a little after 2 in the morning.

She kicked her feet over the side of the bed and stood to go to the bathroom. She returned to her bed afterwards to find that she couldn't fall back to sleep. She tossed and turned a few times before laying on her back to stare up at the ceiling. Soon her mind wandered to the room next to hers, Syaoran's room. Because of yesterday's party, she didn't get much time to spend with him. She hoped that he wasn't upset that she had turned in early, last night, without saying anything. As she thought about him, she started to feel a yearning to see him. This was a familiar occurrence when she was back in Japan, but now she was able to do something about it. Swinging her feet back over the edge of the bed, she tiptoed past Kero towards the door. On her way across the room she tripped over a stack of presents that she didn't see. She froze after they tumbled to the floor and hoped that nothing inside was breakable. Looking back over her shoulder she confirmed that Kero was still asleep before continuing towards the door. She opened the door quietly and stepped into the hall, being careful not to let go of the door knob until the door was closed behind her, so that it wouldn't click.

The hall was dark, so she placed her hand on the wall to guide herself to the door of Syaoran's room. She was careful when opening his door, not wanting to wake him. After quietly closing the door behind her she tiptoed towards his bed. The huge four post bed loomed across the room, opposite of the door, in front of the bay window. The light of the moon shown on his face and he was only half covered by the blankets. She blushed at the sight of his bare, hard muscled chest and arms. Sure, she had seen him naked before, but she always felt embarrassed to stare at his bare splendor for long. His body was the ideal of perfection for any man. She was so entranced at the sight of him that she jumped when he took hold of her hand. Her wide-eyed gaze shot up to his face, where she found him watching her reaction with a sly smirk.

"Y…you're awake?" she stammered and quickly looked away from him. The blush in her cheeks brightened enough to illuminate a radius of 4 feet around the bed.

"I was awake the moment you opened the door," Syaoran spoke in a husky voice. "Couldn't sleep anymore?" he asked and gently pulled her closer to the bed.

Sakura shook her head and looked at him with her eyes wide in panic. She resisted against his pull and shook her head. "S…Syaoran, w…we can't…"

Syaoran continued to smirk. "You're the one who came into my room in the middle of the night," he reminded her, unaware of the time and only knowing that the sun hadn't yet begun to brightened the horizon.

Sakura's eyes couldn't get any wider as she struggled to pull out of his grasp. Sure, they had come close to "doing it" in the past, but she wasn't ready then, and she didn't feel ready now. Her struggles came to no avail when he pulled her effortlessly onto the bed beside him.

"Relax, Sakura, I just want to hold you," he whispered against her ear, sending a shiver up her spine. His arms were wrapped securely around her, holding her in place against him. When she realized that he wasn't going to do anything more than cuddle with her she slowly relaxed against him. With her head lying against his chest, she slowly drifted back to sleep by the sound of his heartbeat.

Sakura was awaken by the ray's of the morning sun and found that she was alone in Syaoran's bed. Rolling onto her back she stared up at the ceiling and recalled the brief moments of their early morning encounter. She felt the heat in her cheeks at her memory of thinking that he might do something to her. She would have to apologize to him for that. He hadn't ever forced her to do anything. Sometimes his self control frightened her more than the thought of actually going all the way. She supposed that was a result from his training in martial arts.

Speaking of martial arts training, she wondered when he had gotten up to leave for his morning routine. Rolling back over on her side she looked for his clock, but didn't find it, having forgotten for a moment that he had morning training for so long that it was now engrained into his system. He was always up, every morning, at daybreak. Sliding out of bed, she returned to her room where she found that Kero was still sleeping and that it was 6:30 in the morning. She went about her morning routines in the bathroom and took a shower. Wrapping a towel around herself, she walked back out into her room to dress. Kero was still asleep. She wondered exactly what he did last night and how late he had stayed up. Sakura went to her suit cases and began to unpack her clothes, many of which had been made for her by Tomoyo. The memory of her dearest friend reminded her that she hadn't called Tomoyo or her father to let them know that she had arrived okay.

Retrieving her cell phone, she called her father first. "I'm sorry that I didn't call yesterday," she said after he answered the phone. "But they had this welcoming graduation party for me when I arrived, and I was exhausted after it and went to bed early."

"It's okay, Sakura-san," Fujitaka spoke soothingly. "Syaoran-kun called last night to tell me."

"O…oh...," she replied.

"I'm glad that you called, hearing your voice always brightens the morning," he said, hearing the disappointment in her voice.

Sakura smiled at her father's reply. "Tell mom that I said good morning," she said, referring to their morning ritual of recognizing her mother's presence through her picture.

"I will, Sakura-san," he replied.

"Well, I Love you, daddy. I've got to go call Tomoyo now."

"Syaoran said last night that he was going to call her for you," Fujitaka told her.

"O…oh…," Sakura replied again, surprised and a little disappointed. Though she was grateful that Syaoran had thought to call them, Sakura felt guilty that she didn't keep her promise to call them herself.

"He said that you were exhausted," Fujitaka explained. "He knows that you aren't use to a high society kind of life and only wanted to help you out in some way. He felt guilty for "feeding you to the lions," so quickly after your arrival."

Syaoran's thoughtfulness made her smile. "I know, he spoils me," she said. "Everyone spoils me here."

"I hope you won't let it go to your head," Fujitaka said with a hint of concern.

Sakura shook her head, though he couldn't see it. "Of course not!"

Her replay made him smile. "Okay. Good luck today with your classes."

"Thanks, Daddy! I'll call you later," she said cheerfully and hung up her phone.

Sakura dressed in a baby pink, crinkle style skirt that come just above her knees with a pair of white leggings. Her top was a white tank top with a light pink, long, sheer top worn over it. Though it was the fall, the weather in Hong Kong was warm and tropical. She double checked her hair in the mirror of her dresser and stepped out of her room to go down for breakfast. She found Yelan downstairs in the study. Yelan looked up from her reading when Sakura lightly rapped on the door. "Good morning, Sakura," Yelan smiled and closed her book.

"Good morning, Li-san," Sakura answered with a slight bow.

Yelan stood and approached her. "Everything is so quiet in the mornings now that my girls have married," she told Sakura, while placing a hand at the small of Sakura's back to lead her to the dining room. "Will you join me for breakfast?"

They walked into the smaller dining room that was used for the family. While not even half as big as the large dining hall, it was still an impressive room. The table was too large for just the two of them. "Syaoran should be joining us soon," Yelan noted after the large grandfather clock in the hall chimed 7 times.

The two women had a quiet conversation while they waited, and 5 minutes later Syaoran was at the door of the dining room. "Good morning," he said with a slight bow to his mother, who sat at the head of the table. Syaoran moved to sit next to his mother and across from Sakura. He smiled at her as he sat down, "Good morning, did you sleep well?" he asked her.

Sakura blushed at the suggested reminder of falling asleep with him earlier this morning. "Yes," she answered quietly, looking down to avoid eye contact.

A few minutes later, one of the servants brought in breakfast. Yelan spoke to her son briefly about some meeting that would be taking place that afternoon which he was required to attend.

After breakfast, Sakura gathered the over-the-shoulder bag for her school materials and met Syaoran outside. Wei was waiting with a sleek black Acura NSX. He handed the keys to Syaoran and moved around the car to open the passenger side door for Sakura. Sakura stared in awe of the vehicle for a moment before she could move. It shouldn't have surprised her, that this seemed to be Syaoran's car, but she couldn't help herself.

She slid into the car and buckled her seatbelt in a daze. She wasn't use to such a rich lifestyle, even though her best friend was also rich. "So what do you think?" Syaoran asked after sliding into the driver's seat.

"Wow," Sakura responded, unsure of what else to say.

Syaoran chuckled and put the car into gear to head for HKU, the University of Hong Kong.

From her shoulder bag Sakura took out the class schedule that she had found on her desk. She had chosen her classes and registered that summer. This was her finalized schedule. She had decided to follow in her father's footsteps and would be studying for her Bachelor's of Education in Liberal Studies. She planned to become a school teacher. While looking over her schedule she noted the professor's names. One in particular stood out; Professor Hiiragizawa.


	4. Ch 3: HKU continued

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Ch. 3: HKU-continued_

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**Author Note:** Okay, I've got one more main character to introduce before things will start to get really interesting. Until then, I'm just building up to that point. I really hope that you enjoy this chapter. I'll start working on Ch. 4 asap. First, I really need to work on my **LongRidge** assignment. Unfortunately, I have to write something that's Non-fiction.....I hate writing Non-fiction. (I'm not saying that I can't write non-fiction, just that I really don't like writing non-fiction. )

**Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy!

* * *

"Eriol-kun?" Sakura spoke her old friends name out loud. Eriol Hiiragizawa was the reincarnation of Clow Reed, whose cards she had collected and turned into Sakura Cards when she was in grade school. He returned to his home in England after the incident with Kuen-Jie had been resolved during their first year of Jr. High. "Hey, Syaoran, Did Eriol-kun have any family back in England?" Sakura asked while she stared at her class schedule. "I mean, other the Kaho sensei?"

"Humm??" Syaoran responded thoughtfully as he drove his sleek black Acura NSX through traffic on his way to the University of Hong Kong.

"Eriol-kun," Sakura repeated the name since Syaoran didn't seem to have heard her.

Syaoran took his eyes off of the road to look at her with a raised eyebrow. That was a name that he hadn't heard for awhile now. "What about him?"

"Does he have any family in England?" Sakura repeated her question with a sigh.

"How would I know?" Syaoran answered and returned his eyes to the road.

"Well, you were his roommate for awhile," Sakura pointed out. It was Eriol who had gone back to Hong Kong with Syaoran when she had completed turning the Clow Cards into Sakura Cards. Eriol had convinced the Elders of the Li Clan to allow Syaoran to return to Japan. Eriol and Syaoran shared an apartment when they were concerned that Kuen-Jie would attack Sakura to take her cards for himself.

"Yeah, well, he never spoke of any," Syaoran replied while looking over his shoulder to be sure it was safe to change lanes. "Why do you ask?"

"One of my professors," Sakura started to explain as she looked back down at her class schedule for confirmation, "is Professor Hiiragizawa."

Syaoran seemed completely dethatched from the conversation as he switched lanes again. "Well, It's not like it could be Hiiragizawa," Syaoran spoke, referring to Eriol, whom he hadn't ever become comfortable enough with to call by his first name. "After all, he's our age."

"I know that!" Sakura said defensively. "I'm not stupid. I was just wondering if there was any relation."

They drove in silence for a few minutes as Sakura continued to study her schedule. "Hey, Syaoran?" she asked again.

"Hummm?" he answered and looked at her. At the moment they were stopped in traffic.

"We don't have any classes together, do we?" she asked sadly.

"No," he confirmed. "Our majors are completely different."

Sakura pouted for a moment. "Well, how am I going to find my classes?" she wondered out loud.

Syaoran reached out to caress her cheek and smiled. "If this traffic picks up, then we should make it to campus early enough so that I can take you to your first class." Their eyes met and Sakura smiled with relief. She took hold of his hand and was about to move to kiss his cheek when there was the sound of a horn behind them. Startled out of their gaze, Syaoran returned his eyes to the road and stepped on the gas to jolt the car back into motion. He swore briefly about impatient drivers.

They stayed mostly silent for the rest of the trip. Syaoran concentrated on the morning rush hour traffic and Sakura watched out the window at the sights. They managed to make it to the parking garage with plenty of time to spare before both of their classes. Sakura was in awe of all of the buildings. Many of which were built in the early 1900's. The Main building was built of red brick and had a large clock tower. Being the first of the buildings that were built on the campus, it was now recognized as being a historic monument. Sakura had to stop at the bookstore. Syaoran had bought most of her books already, when he had come over the summer to visit the campus. There were a couple, however, that had not been in stock.

Syaoran took Sakura on a quick tour of part of the campus. HKU was huge, being about 40 acres, and spread out. The architecture of the buildings was gorgeous. Sakura's classes were limited to one building, but Syaoran's were in another. "Meet me here after your last class," Syaoran told her in the lobby of the building for her classes. "My last class ends an hour before yours," he bent to kiss her in midsentence, "I'll be waiting for you."

Sakura nodded and leaned into his embrace to give him one last hug. She tried to keep him with her for as long as she could. He slowly pulled away and held her out at arm's length. She looked at him with a pleading pout. She was in an unfamiliar place, and though they had separate classes in the past, at least he had only been a few rooms away. Now he would be more than a few buildings away. Syaoran closed his eyes with a sigh of defeat. "Don't give me that look," he said softly after pulling her back to him for another hug. "If it's you, you'll definitely be alright," he reminded her of her old invincibility spell.

Sakura took a deep breath and smiled up at him. "Yes," she began to say. "I'll definitely be alright."

Syaoran returned her smile before turning to leave for his own classes. Sakura glanced at her watch, which had been a graduation present from Touya & Yukito. She had half an hour until her first class. She had 3 classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and one class on Tuesday and Thursdays. After securing her bag on her shoulder she decided to head to her class. She would be early, but she figured it was better than just standing around in the lobby.

Sakura arrived early to her first class and took a seat in the back corner. She flipped through her text book for the class while she waited. The classroom was full of students when the professor arrived. For the first class, the professor spoke about her expectations for her students, reviewed classroom rules, and discussed how the final project was expected to be done and when it was due. The class had early dismissal with the expectation that the students would take the time to start reading the first two chapters of the text.

Sakura waited for most of the students to leave before leaving the class herself. The clock on the wall told her that it was nearly time for lunch. Unfortunately, Syaoran's class ran through the lunch hour, so she would have to eat lunch alone. She walked back to the lobby of the building and outside. The main library was the largest building on Campus and couldn't be missed. She remembered Syaoran mentioning a cafeteria inside of the library, so she decided to go there.

Sakura ordered her lunch and took it to a table. She ate and started to read through her chapters from the previous class. She became so engrossed in the book that she lost track of time. A glance at her watch told her that she would be late for her second class if she didn't hurry. Gathering her books and returning her food tray, she rushed out of the library with her schedule in hand. Trying to remember which way she had come from her class, it was easy to get turned around and she soon found herself lost. "Oh, Great!" she exclaimed in frustration. Looking around, there weren't many students. She concluded that they were already in their classes. She fidgeted with her hands while looking around for something that looked familiar. "Ohhhhh….." she muttered hopelessly. She supposed she could walk into the building that stood in front of her and ask someone for directions, but when she entered the building she found that the lobby was empty. Everyone was either in class or out to lunch.

Sakura went back outside and tried to retrace her footsteps. Her watch told her that she had less than 10 minutes to get to class. She was beginning to wonder if she shouldn't just summon Kero to help her. She argued in her mind that he probably couldn't help much. At least she wouldn't be alone, though. She was really starting to miss home and all of her friends back in Japan. Just as she thought that she was about to burst into tears she reached for her star key that still hung around her neck after all of these years.

She was about to release her star wand to summon Kero when she felt someone place a hand firmly on her shoulder. Sakura screamed in fright and dropped the star key, which fell on its chain back against her chest. Having had lost her balance from jumping in fear, she soon felt an unfamiliar arm wrap around her waist to keep her from falling.

"Whoa, careful," a deep male voice that she didn't recognize spoke to her. Sakura looked up with wide fearful eyes at a man who looked to be in his early 20's. His long black hair was neatly pulled back into a pony tail and his face was freshly shaven. His eyes looked like black pools of ink staring at her with inquiry. "I've got you," he said soothingly.

Sakura was increasingly aware of his arm around her waist and of his closeness. As soon as she found her feet beneath her she spun out of his arm and backed away in haste. "I'm sorry," she bowed, keeping a distance of a couple of feet between them.

"Are you okay?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. "I didn't mean to scare you. You just looked a bit lost."

Sakura raised her head to look at him. She supposed that he was handsome, though no one could be more handsome to her then Syaoran was. His body type seemed to be strong, though she was sure that he was scrawnier then Syaoran. He was shorter then Syaoran too, standing only a couple of centimeters taller than her. He was dressed in black slacks with a white button-down shirt. She couldn't tell whether he was a student or a young professor. "Yes," she finally answered him. "I seem to have lost my way."

"Oh, then please allow me to be of assistance," he said with a charming smile. "You are from Japan, right?" He asked, taking note of her facial features and her accent. Sakura nodded. "May I see your schedule then?" he held his hand out and asked. Sakura nodded again and placed her schedule in his awaiting hand.

He examined the schedule for a moment longer then she was expecting before turning that charming smile back to her. "Oh, I see. You went the wrong way when you left the library," he explained. It didn't even occur to Sakura to question how he knew that she had come from the library. Before she knew it, he had closed the distance between them and was turning her around. He stood behind her and pointed into the direction that she was now facing. His face was unnecessarily close to her and his breath blew across her ear as he spoke. "You want to go that way. Follow the path past the library until it turns. Keep following the path past the first building you come to. Your class is in the building beside it." Sakura shivered at his closeness and took a step forward before turning to thank him. "You are most welcome. It is the least I could do," he replied with a deep bow.

Sakura turned back around and ran off, following the directions that he had given to her. She let out a deep sigh of relief when she spotted the building that her classes were in. She raced through the halls to her classroom. She was nearly 5 minutes late. She rushed into the classroom and bowed her apology. "I'm sorry," she spoke hastily. "I got lost."

"It is okay, being the first day of classes, it is expected," the professor spoke. He was an older man, in his early to mid 50's, of Chinese descent. His white beard was the only hair on his head. Sakura straightened to find the entire class staring at her in astonishment. The only seats left empty were in the very front row. "Please take your seat Miss…"

"Kinomoto," Sakura answered his implied question and moved quickly to the first available seat before she died of embarrassment.

The class went by slowly, but when it was finally over Sakura was one of the first people out of the room. Her next class was the one with Professor Hiiragizawa. She was really curious to find out if he might be related to Eriol. They had lost touch with Eriol in their 9th grade year. He just suddenly stopped responding to her letters and his phone had become no longer in service. It hurt and worried her when it happened. She had asked Tomoyo to try to search for any clues as to his whereabouts over the internet, but her efforts were unfruitful. Sakura tried to send a letter every month until they were all sent back to her unopened just before she went into high school. Sakura was holding on to this last string of hope that Professor Hiiragizawa might know Eriol and that he might even know how she could get in touch with him.

She arrived to class before anyone else and took a seat in the front row. She wanted to be able to see him properly and make herself known to him early. She hoped that he might come to class early so that she could introduce herself. Unfortunately, though, he was nearly 15 minutes late. Most of the students were getting ready to leave when he rushed through the door. "I greatly apologize, everyone," he spoke in a voice that Sakura recognized. Sakura covered her gasp of shock at the sight of him. He looked exactly like her father, except for his hair and eye color. Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. Yet, there was no mistaking it. "Eriol-kun!?" She exclaimed.

Professor Hiiragizawa looked up and met her gaze. He smiled his famous knowing smile at her. "Now now, Kinomoto-san, while we are in class you really should refer to me as Professor Hiiragizawa," he responded. Sakura's eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "I'd like to start class now, if I may."

"O….Of course…" Sakura spoke weakly and blushed as she became aware that the whole class was staring at her. Everyone was curious about the kind of relationship she had with the professor.

Sakura could barely concentrate through class. The class was an English studies course. Her mind kept wondering how it is that Eriol could look like he was in his late 30's to early 40's.

Once class was ended she sat impatiently, waiting until the other students left the room. There were a few who were taking their time and seemed to be lingering around, as if hoping to uncover the mystery. Eventually they left, obviously disappointed.

"H…How is this possible? You can't be Eriol-kun! It is impossible!" she approached him to ask as soon as everyone else had left.

"Nothing in this world is impossible, Sakura-san, if you believe. That is your first lesson."


	5. Ch 4: She who would belong to him

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Ch. 4: She who would belong to him_

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**Author Note:** So I couldn't get the ideas for this chapter out of my mind, and I ended up writing it anyway. I'm uploading it without it having been proofread by my usual proofreader, though I have proofread it myself about 4 times since yesterday. I hope that everything is okay. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** **Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy!

* * *

Sakura stood, frozen in place, and stared in disbelief at her professor, Professor Hiiragizawa. He had answered when she accidently called him "Eriol-kun" at the beginning of class. He even called her Kinomoto-san before introductions or role call had been made. Now, he was basically admitting that he was Eriol Hiiragizawa and telling her that nothing was impossible.

"No way," she continued to deny with a shake of her head. "You couldn't be Eriol-kun….you….you're so…..so…." she stammered, unsure that there was a polite way to express her thoughts.

"Old?" Eriol finished her sentence for her.

Sakura jolted; a bit taken back that he had said it. "Well…..anou…. well… ye….yeah…," she stuttered and looked down in embarrassment. She realized that she was being rude.

To her surprise, she heard him chuckle and felt him place a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You haven't changed much, Sakura-chan," he observed. "You are still so cute and innocent."

Sakura's cheeks darkened and she was surprised when he led her back to the desk where she had sat during class. "Shall I explain?" he asked after pulling the professor's chair up to her desk and sitting beside her. Sakura gave him a sideways glance and nodded.

"Are you aware of whom I love the most, Sakura-san?" Eriol inquired.

Sakura stared at him quixotically and tilted her head to one side.

Eriol chuckled again; not at all surprised that she hadn't noticed it before. "How do you see Kaho and me?" he asked out of sheer curiosity.

Sakura blinked a few times about his question. She thought it was an odd thing to ask. "Anou…aren't you like siblings, though you're not related?" Sakura asked. "I mean, you're relationship is good, so I know that you guys are close. She is so much older then you that she reminds me of an older sister," she continued to explain her reasoning.

Eriol supposed that he shouldn't be too surprised. Sakura hadn't changed much, after all, and she could always be sort of dense. Eriol shook his head as a response to Sakura's rambling. She was still trying to explain herself. "Kaho is my wife, Sakura-san," he said, silencing her babble.

Again, Sakura was taken aback by surprise. She stared at him, speechless.

"When I was the same age that you were when you were turning the Clow cards into Sakura cards, I stopped aging so that I could wait for you, and so that I would be able to be near you as a classmate while you were changing the cards," he explained. "After the incident with Kuen Jie, and once I was certain that you no longer needed my assistance, I used my magic to speed up my aging and return to the age that I should have been," he finished and watched as the realization slowly came to her face.

Sakura's face lit up with excitement and she grabbed both of his hands. "You and Mizuki sensei are married!" Sakura spoke suddenly, with stars in her eyes. "Sugoi! That is so cool! Congratulations! For how long? Is Mizuki-sensei here, in Hong Kong, with you? I want to see her!" Sakura rambled, almost forgetting to breath. Her shock at seeing Eriol as he was now no longer seemed to faze her.

Eriol couldn't contain his laughter. He laughed whole heartedly; one of those "belly laughs." He couldn't contain his amusement any longer. Sakura was still so simple-minded. Sakura tilted her head to the side again and watched him. She was smiling in her confusion and soon his laughter became contagious. Sakura joined in on his laughter, though she wasn't sure what was so funny. She was just really happy.

"Well, you'll have to stop calling her "Mizuki" now, you know," Eriol told her when he was able to control himself again.

"Oh, oh.. right…of course!" she answered between laughter as she tried to calm herself down. "How is she doing?" She asked when she could keep a straight face.

"Very well," Eriol replied.

"And Ruby and Spinel? How are they?" Sakura asked.

"The same as ever," Eriol answered.

"Say, why is it that you stopped writing to me, and why did I suddenly receive all of the letters that I sent to you, back, unopened?" Sakura suddenly thought to ask, her face showing her disappointment.

"Oh, well, you see…" Eriol began to say. "That is when I went into college to earn my degree, and shortly after Kaho and I married. We moved from England for awhile to live in the United States," he explained after a moment of thought.

Sakura's eyes went wide in amazement. "Sugoi! That is so cool!" she exclaimed, all starry eyed.

Eriol smiled at her expressions. She was so easy to please. "How is Li-kun?" he asked.

Sakura's expression became serious at the sound of Syaoran's name. "Oh my gosh, I completely forgot!" she shouted in panic as she jumped up from the desk, still holding Eriol's hands. "I was supposed to meet him down in the lobby after class! I better hurry, he has a clan meeting to get to!" she stated in a rush of words. She released Eriol's hands to bow, "Please excuse me, I will be leaving now," she said and grabbed her bag to rush out of the room. Eriol watched after her with his typical knowing smile.

Sakura was surprised, when she got into the hall, to find that there were still so many students there. She dodged around everyone as she rushed past. "Excuse me," she said, before flying down the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. "Syaoran!" she called out his name when she reached the entrance to the lobby and saw him across the room. She ran to him, stopping to catch her breath in front of him. "I'm so sorry that I am late!" she panted.

Syaoran looked at her as if she were losing her mind. "You're not late, Sakura. In fact, you're right on time," he told her and took her bag to carry.

Sakura blinked in surprise and looked at her watch; sure enough, she was right on time. Yet she was sure that she had stayed after class for at least 15 minutes. "O…oh…" she replied in confusion.

Syaoran watched her for a quick moment, also confused, before reaching out with his free hand for her to take. "Shall we be going, then?" he asked.

"Mmm!" Sakura looked up to nod with one of her brilliant smiles. She took his hand and allowed him to lead her out of the building. "Hey, Syaoran, you'll never believe what has happened," she was saying as the door closed behind them.

From the back of the lobby, leaning against the wall not far from the stairs, with his arms crossed over his chest, the man who had helped Sakura earlier that day watched the couple. When she had given him her schedule to look over after lunch, he had memorized it, and had come with the intensions of picking her up from her last class. He now saw that she was already spoken for.

"Did you need Kinomoto-san for some reason?" Eriol, who had spotted the man watching Sakura and Syaoran after following Sakura down the stairs, asked.

The other man moved his eyes to look at Eriol without changing his posture. "Not really," he answered.

"I see," Eriol replied and began to continue walking towards the door.

The other man watched Eriol suspiciously before making a last minute decision to follow. "Do you know who the person is that she left with?" he asked. She had called the guy by a Japanese name, so he was assuming that the guy named Syaoran was also from Japan. He hadn't been close enough to see Syaoran's features.

Eriol stopped to look back at the other man. "He is Li Xiao Lang, the heir of the Li clan," Eriol answered.

Chin Cong, the other man, jolted at hearing the name and stared at the door with narrowed eyes; to think that his opponent was from the Li clan. Even being from Beijing, he recognized the name, and knew of the clan. He had heard the rumors that the Li clan's heir had spent the past 6 years in Japan. "I see," he answered and continued to walk past Eriol. So then, that meant Kinomoto Sakura was the Mistress of the famed "Clow Cards." The Li clan had gone through great lengths to ensure that the name of the new card master wasn't released to the public. He knew that he sensed powerful magic around her. She would be a perfect asset for the Chin clan; he vowed to himself that she would belong to him.


	6. Ch 5: Lonely Night

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Ch. 5: Lonely Night_

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I can't stop writing this story! I can't get the ideas out of my head! The only way to solve that problem is to continue writing it... I'm about half way done with my homework... I'll finish it tomorrow...

So, this chapter is mostly just minor details leading up to the more important things. It may seem kind of cliche, but it is important. Next chapter, you will get to meet the character who will be responsible for it all. Please look forward to it. At the rate I've been writing, it'll probably be out by the end of the week.

**Disclaimer:** **Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy!

* * *

"Well, it really doesn't surprise me," Syaoran said, his voice lacking emotion. "You ARE talking about the reincarnation of Clow Reed, after all." Syaoran was currently driving home with Sakura after their first day at HKU, the University of Hong Kong. Sakura was busily telling him about her day, and most importantly about how Professor Hiiragizawa really was Eriol-kun. She explained to him how Eriol had used magic to speed up his aging process in order to become his actual age again. Eriol had stopped his aging when he was 11 in order to wait for Sakura, so that he could be one of her classmates back when she was changing the Clow cards into Sakura cards.

Syaoran listening to her silently, not offering much of a reaction, nor did he have much to say, until now. "Well," Syaoran continued, "I suppose that I will have to keep an eye on the situation."

Sakura looked over at him from where she sat in the passenger seat of Syaoran's car. "Why do you say that?" she asked with a slight tilt of her head.

"Because whenever those two are around, something always happens," he took his eyes off of the road in order to look at her and say.

Sakura let out a little huff, "That's not very nice of you to say," she scolded him. "Eriol-kun and Mizuki-sensei have always been very nice and have helped us out a lot in the past," she protested.

"Perhaps, but that doesn't deny the fact that they were also the cause of the problems that occurred at the time," Syaoran replied calmly.

"That wasn't the case with Kuen Jie," Sakura said defensively. "And it was Eriol-kun who talked the elders into letting you go to school in Japan," she pointed out.

Syaoran reached out to take her hand while driving the car with only one hand on the wheel. He gently squeezed her hand and turned his head for a moment to smile at her. "You don't have to get upset about this," he spoke soothingly. "Sure, they have helped us out a lot. I was just pointing out that weird things tend to happen when they are around."

Sakura sighed and leaned against his shoulder. It floored her how calm he could be. Hardly anything seemed to affect him anymore. She remembered back when he use to get upset about everything. Now, it was her who seemed to get upset over everything. "I know, I'm sorry," she said and smiled up at him innocently. To her amusement, he blushed slightly and quickly returned his eyes to the road. Well, he was usually calm, that is, unless it had something to do with her. Sakura couldn't help but to giggle.

In her excitement about relaying everything about Eriol, the incident that had occurred earlier that day after lunch completely slipped her mind.

Then they arrived home, at the Li mansion, Syaoran followed Sakura to her room, where she dropped off her bag. He was standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe, and watching her. After Sakura dropped her bag beside her desk, she turned to look at him curiously, wondering why he was just standing there. "Syao?" she called him, using the shortened nickname that she had given to him long ago.

Syaoran shook his head to clear his thoughts and then smiled at her. He straightened his posture, "I'm sorry that I can't stay," he said. Sakura approached him to hug around his waist. Syaoran wrapped his free arm around her shoulders to return the hug; he carried his bag, over his shoulder, in the other hand. "I have to go get ready for the meeting," he sighed and kissed the top of her head. "I'm not sure how long it will last."

Sakura nodded her head against his shoulder and then pulled out of their hug just enough to look up at him. "It's okay," she said with one of her brilliant smiles. "I'll just work on homework."

Syaoran smiled down at her and caressed her cheek. "Okay, see you soon," he told her and bent to give her a quick kiss before leaving for his room to change.

Sakura watched him disappear through his door before she turned back into her room. Returning to her desk, she dug her cell phone out of her bag and dialed Tomoyo's number; she had a lot to tell her best friend. However, Tomoyo's phone went straight to the voice mail. Sakura double-checked the time; it was a little after 5:00. Tomoyo's flight to France was earlier that morning. Sakura was sure that Tomoyo had arrived by now, but figured she must be busy with getting situated into her dorm room.

Sakura left a quick message, saying that she would send an e-mail, and hung up the phone. She then turned the computer on, that sat on her desk. The computer had been a new addition to her room when she arrived yesterday. After logging onto the internet and her e-mail, she drafted a rather lengthy message explaining her day.

_Oh yeah, and there was this really strange guy who gave me directions after lunch, _she typed at the end of her email, having just remembered the event. _He was really strange. _

When she was finished, Sakura turned in her chair to view the pile of gifts that had been left yesterday for her surprise graduation/welcome home party. She walked over and sat on the floor beside the pile, which was so tall that she had to reach up from her sitting position for the top most present on the pile. Most of the gifts were clothing and accessories. Some were books and others were boxes of candy. She set those aside for Kero. She was most astonished with a gift that had been buried in the middle of the pile. The box had contained an ornate, antique, Chinese jewelry box. After lifting the top lid, she was surprised at what she found inside.

Sakura's mouth went agape with a quiet gasp. She picked up a delicate red cord to dangle the antique talisman before her eyes. She raised her other hand beneath the fragile looking jade pendent. The outer rectangle shape was formed by the carving of two Chinese dragons facing one another. In the center was carved a phoenix. Sakura could hardly believe her eyes. This gift looked way too precious for her to have. Surely it was an heirloom of some sort. She wondered who could have given it to her.

After carefully putting the necklace back into the jewelry box, she placed the box in a safe location and decided to ask Syaoran about it later. The growling of her stomach told her that it was time for dinner.

As she walked through the huge mansion on her way to the dining room, the eerie silence around her seemed ominous. She couldn't help but to look over her shoulder every few minutes. She, obviously, found the dining room to be empty. The long table seemed endless. Sakura was sure that she would feel ridiculous eating at it alone. Out of the corner of her eye she thought that she saw a shadow move. When she turned to fully look at it she jumped and let out a tiny squeal of fright to find that the shadow actually did move; or better yet, something moved out of the shadow. After she recognized one of the kitchen maids, Sakura brought a hand up over her heart, as if to calm down its racing beat.

"Kinomoto-sama, are you ready to eat?" The maid asked with a deep bow. Sakura didn't like the formalities of it at all.

"P….please, you can just call me Sakura," she replied.

The maid bowed again, "As you wish, Sakura-sama," the maid replied, causing Sakura to cringe.

"Honestly, you don't have to be so formal," Sakura said quietly. The maid had moved to the table to pull out a chair for Sakura to sit in. Sakura looked at the table with foreboding. "Couldn't I just eat in the Kitchen?" Sakura asked. "This table is much too large to be eating at alone."

The maid's eyes went wide with shock. "But Sakura-sama," she stammered.

"Where is Wei?" Sakura asked and started to head towards the kitchen door.

The maid followed at Sakura's heels, trying to convince her to stay in the dining room. Finally, Sakura turned to face her. "I am not your master, nor do I want to be your master. Please treat me as a friend," Sakura told the maid quietly. This was beginning to remind Sakura of when she first met Yue. "I don't want to be your master, I want to be your friend," she said, remembering the words that she had told Yue so many years ago. The maid looked frozen in place as she stared at Sakura in shock, obviously unsure of how to handle this situation.

Sakura continued into the Kitchen, where she found that a dinner plate had already been made for her. Wei turned around, when she opened the door, and smiled at her with gentle eyes. "Good evening, Sakura-san," he said, seeming not at all surprised to find her there.

Sakura sat at the table in the kitchen with Wei and the maid as she ate her dinner. She chatted some with Wei about her day and was grateful for the company. She even offered to help with the dishes when she was finished. "No, it is alright, Sakura-san. There is no need to bother yourself with them," Wei told her politely.

"Oh, it's not a bother at all," Sakura replied while standing from the table with her dishes in hand. The maid stopped her before she could take a step away from the table, though.

"This is our job, Sakura-sama," the maid told her softly. "It is our pleasure to serve you."

The maid had politely taken the dishes from Sakura's hands. Sakura looked from the maid to Wei helplessly. Wei nodded at her and smiled. "These must be difficult changes for you, Sakura-san. Let us worry about cleaning up; I'm sure that you have a lot to do after your first day of college."

Though she felt a little disappointed, Sakura nodded in defeat. "Yes, I guess I should finish my assignment," she admitted before turning to return to her room.

Back in her room, Sakura gathered her school books and lay with everything spread out on her bed, where she read and took notes. Her mind became easily distracted, though. It was too silent. She started to wonder where her noisy little guardian was. Though she knew she would probably be yelling at him to be quiet so that she could study, at least she wouldn't be alone. Chances were that he was in the recreation room playing video games. Since there wasn't a TV in her room she figured that it was probably better that she left him alone. After a failed attempt at trying to go back to her reading she gave up and rolled over on her back to stare at the ceiling and eventually dozed off.

Sakura woke early the next morning with the light of the morning sun. She sat up in bed to find that her books and notes had been gathered, neatly placed on her desk, and that she had been turned around and laid more comfortably in the bed. She would have to thank Syaoran when she saw him. Kicking her legs over the edge of the bed, she stood to shower and dress. She noted that Kero slept soundly on the pillow top stool at the foot of her bed.

After going about her morning routine, she somehow managed to find the training hall. She watched with silent adoration as Syaoran went through one of his forms. He looked up to acknowledge her presence as soon as he was finished. Sakura's heart skipped a beat over being caught watching him. He did not seem troubled by it, though, and she entered into the hall to pounce on him. "Thank you for taking care of me last night," she greeted him cheerfully.

Having caught her up around her waist, Syaoran chuckled at her early morning cheerfulness. "I'm sorry that the meeting ran so late. You must have felt awkward in the house alone," he said, having heard from Wei about her actions at dinner.

"It's okay," Sakura replied with a smile as she braced herself with her hands on his shoulders and smiled down at him. He was holding her up off of the ground; she was practically sitting on his arm. "It wasn't THAT bad," she continued to say.

"I'll take you out for lunch today," he offered.

Sakura dropped down to wrap her arms around his neck with a hug. "Okay!" she said happily.


	7. Ch 6: Friend or Foe

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Ch. 6: Friend or Foe_

* * *

**Author Note:** Well, I don't have anything to say, really... I'll have Ch. 7 up soon. Please look forward to it.

**Disclaimer:** **Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy!

* * *

It was Tuesday morning. Sakura only had one class on Tuesdays, and it was at 10:00a.m. At the present moment she was sitting in the passenger seat of Syaoran's car as he drove them to campus. He had been acting extra sweet to her this morning. Sakura could only gather that he was feeling guilty for leaving her alone last night. She understood that it couldn't be helped. He had a clan meeting to attend, after all.

"What would you like to have for Lunch?" Syaoran asked, turning his head to look at her when they were stopped in traffic.

"I don't know, really," Sakura replied. She honestly didn't know what she had a taste for.

"There is a very nice restaurant not far from campus," he explained. "It's within walking distance."

Sakura smiled one of her radiant smiles at him and nodded. "That sounds good."

"Do you have anything around campus to do this afternoon?" Syaoran then asked, returning his eyes to the road when traffic started to move again. "You don't have to wait for me to get out of class. I can call and have Wei pick you up if you prefer."

Sakura shook her head, "It's okay, I'll wait. I can work on homework in the Library."

When they arrived to the campus, Syaoran walked her to her class; which was in the same building that her classes were in yesterday. She was really early, but she didn't mind. He had a class to get to as well. "I'll meet you in the lobby after class," Syaoran spoke against her ear as he gave her a hug. Sakura nodded against his shoulder. They were standing in her empty classroom; empty of students, that is. Syaoran moved a hand under her chin and lifted it. He bent to tenderly kiss her lips before releasing her and turning to leave.

Sakura chose the very last desk in the row closest to the door. Because she had about 20 minutes before class would start, she pulled out a book that she had been reading. 5 minutes later, right when she was in the middle of the climax of the book, another student entered the classroom. Sakura paid the presence no heed and continued to read. Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw the other student standing by the desk on the other side of hers. "Hi, you don't mind if I sit beside you, do you?" the student asked, drawing Sakura's attention.

Sakura was too engrossed in her book to really care or wonder why the other student, a female by the sound of the voice, chose the seat next to hers when all of the other seats in the room were currently empty. "Mmm," Sakura nodded in response, not taking her eyes off of the book; this was the best part.

"Say, what are you reading?" The student beside her asked, closing into Sakura's personal space in the attempt to read the title of the book.

Masking her annoyance, Sakura finally looked up at the person standing beside her. The student had long black hair that was tied up in a long ponytail knot. She was tall and slender, wearing a pair of black stretch capris with a long t-shirt that had a white tiger on it and her eyes were black.

Sakura sat back in her seat to put some distance between them. Then, keeping her hand in the book so as not to lose the page that she was on, she closed the book to reveal the title.

"Nihongo?" The young woman asked, referring to the fact that the book was written in Japanese. Sakura nodded and flipped the book back open to continue reading.

The young woman sat down and pulled the desk closer to Sakura's. "Wow, that's so interesting! So, you're from Japan? I participated in a student exchange program there for a term in high school. My host family was great. I really enjoyed myself," she rambled.

Sakura took a deep breath to keep from being angry; she supposed that she would just have to finish her reading later. She forced herself to smile as she turned to respond. "Really? What a coincidence. Where did you stay?" she asked cheerfully.

The other girl stared at Sakura for a long moment in a state of awe. Sakura tilted her head and stared back curiously. When the other girl finally blinked out of her daze she returned Sakura's smile. "Wow, you're really cute," she told Sakura innocently.

Sakura blushed slightly and was reminded of her best friend. Tomoyo was always calling her cute, too. She thought back to how she and Tomoyo first met and couldn't help but to wonder if a similar friendship might form with this girl. "I'm Kinomoto Sakura," Sakura introduced herself.

"I'm Xiao-Xing," The other girl introduced herself in return, purposely leaving off her surname for the moment.

"Really?!" Sakura exclaimed in excitement. "That is so cool! My boyfriend's name starts with "Xiao," too!"

"You don't say," Xiao-Xing replied, hiding her smirk behind one of her hands; pretending, instead, to be giggling in amusement.

The two of them chatted for a few minutes longer until Sakura heard a gasp coming from behind her. Sakura looked over her shoulder towards the door.

"Kinomoto-san!" Sakura heard Meilin squeal nanoseconds before she saw her. Meilin practically skipped into the classroom. She set her bag on the desk in front of Sakura's and sat down, sitting sideways in the seat so that she could face Sakura. "What a coincidence that we have a class together," Meilin stated happily. "I'm so relieved that I know someone here!" Meilin's excitement calmed down and she took note of Xiao-Xing sitting beside Sakura. "Oh, Sorry," she said, as Xiao-Xing looked very annoyed. "Did I interrupt something?"

Sakura, who completely missed Xiao-Xing's look, smiled and waved her hand in a way that excused everything. "No, no, not at all," Sakura replied innocently; she was also glad to see a familiar face. "Xiao-Xing, meet Li Meilin, Meilin, meet…." Sakura started to introduce them and realized that she didn't know Xiao-Xing's surname.

"Chin Xiao-Xing," she introduced herself. "So, you are of the Li clan," she noted that she now had an obstacle to work around. Meilin nodded and the two young women stared at one another, as if they were measuring each other up.

Sakura glanced back and forth at them. She wasn't sure that she liked the static that she saw between them. "Meilin is my fiancé's cousin," Sakura stated, trying to draw their attention away from one another.

"Oh, I see. So then, you two must be pretty close," Xiao-Xing observed with a hint of disappointment.

Before Sakura could respond a sudden hush fell over the room, which had gradually filled with students while the trio was talking. Sakura turned her attention to the front of the class, where the professor was calling the class into order.

Class seemed to go by quickly, having two friends with you. The professor was also fun and easy going. He seemed to be in his late twenties or early thirties, dressed more casually then most of the other professors, and had most of the girls fawning over him; Meilin included.

"He is SO good looking!" Meilin whispered back to Sakura. The class had a very relaxed atmosphere and she was sitting sideways at the desk. "I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

"Aww, too bad, it looks like he's married," Xiao-Xing taunted. "Look at his ring finger." Sure enough, he was wearing a wedding band. Meilin scowled at Xiao-Xing before making a little "Humph" sound and turning around in her seat to face forward.

"Aww, Meilin, don't be like that. Maybe he has a little brother," Sakura suggested, honestly meaning well. Meilin didn't answer her and Sakura assumed that she was pouting, the tension between Meilin and Xiao-Xing going unnoticed to her.

"Hey, Meilin, Syaoran is taking me to lunch somewhere off campus. Would you like to come with?" Sakura asked at the end of class.

Meilin turned to face her and Sakura was relieved to see that she didn't seem to be angry with her. "Naw, that's okay. I have class at 12:30, and if it's off campus, I won't make it back in time," Meilin explained. "You two love birds go spend some time together."

"Oh, well, okay then," Sakura replied, sounding a little disappointed. She hadn't seen Meilin since her surprise graduation/welcome party. Though it was only a couple of days ago, Sakura didn't get much time to talk with and catch up with her old friend. She didn't even know that Meilin was a student at HKU. "We'll have to go to lunch together on Thursday, then," Sakura suggested, since this class was on Tuesday & Thursday.

Meilin looked like there was something else that she wanted to say. She was watching Sakura intensely and then looked up at Xiao-Xing, who had just stood up from her seat. Xiao-Xing caught Meilin's look and returned it with narrowed eyes. "What?" She asked.

Sakura watched their interaction in confusion before moving to take both of their arms. With her arms locked with theirs, she walked up the aisle and towards the door, turning sideways so that they could all fit through the door together. Sakura was smiling and laughing. She may have looked childish, but as they descended the stairs together with their arms still locked, soon Meilin and Xiao-Xing were smiling and laughing as well.

When the trio reached the lobby, Sakura released them and spun around so that she faced them both. "Then, I'll see you both on Thursday," she said with a radiant smile. "It was nice to meet you, Xiao-Xing!" she said with a bow before turning to run across the lobby. "Syaoran!" she called out to him. He was sitting in one of the plush seats on the other side of the room, reading. Upon hearing his name, he closed the book and stood to wait for her. "You're early," she exclaimed while bouncing to a stop in front of him.

Syaoran blushed at the attention that she was drawing. "Yeah," he said, raising a hand to the back of his head. Everyone in the lobby was watching them. "The class let out early," he explained and took her hand to lead her out of the building. "You're in a cheerful mood," he stated with a small smile.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Sorry about that," she said somberly with a blush after finally noticing that they were the center of attention.

Syaoran squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry about it," he said. Sakura would always be Sakura, after all, and her cheerful nature is what he loved about her the most.

Across the lobby, Meilin and Xiao-Xing stood where Sakura had left them, staring after her in awe. When the couple disappeared through the door the two young women finally moved to look at one another. Static moved through the air between them before they turned their backs to each other and walked away without saying a word.

"So," Syaoran said as they walked across campus. "What happened that made you so excited?"

Sakura let go of his hand so that she could twirl in front of him, where she stopped and smiled up at him; her whole face glowing with excitement. "Meilin is in my class and I made a new friend!"

Syaoran couldn't help but to chuckle. He reached out and ruffled her hair; she was so carefree.

"Syaoran, how come you didn't tell me that Meilin would be coming to HKU too?" she asked while walking backwards.

"Didn't I tell you?" Syaoran asked. He was a little distracted, watching as she walked backwards in front of him. This was something that she used to do all of the time on rollerblades, but he knew her coordination wasn't nearly as good on foot. When she stumbled, as he was expecting that she would do, he reached out and caught her hand to pull her back towards him. Sakura blushed at her clumsiness. "I've been so busy for the past week that I guess it slipped my mind," he said, answering her question. He then moved forward to take her hand and continue to walk with her across campus for their lunch date.


	8. Ch 7: The First Move

**CCS-3: Illusions of Love**

_Ch. 7: The First Move_

* * *

I will be taking a small break from writing this series. It will only be a couple of weeks, or until I write two fanfics for Secret Santa activities and a holiday celebration fic for the NatsuRuka-FanClub in DeviantArt. I'll start writing Ch. 8 as soon as I am finished with those other 3 oneshots. Please look forward to it!

**Disclaimer:** **Cardcaptor Sakura** and all original characters of the original story are property of **CLAMP** While I have made up and will be making up a few characters for this story, only those characters that I have made up and the idea for this continuation series are my own. Thank you. Please enjoy!

* * *

Chin Cong watched from afar as the couple on the pathway, across the lawn, parted ways. He was in the classroom on the 3rd floor of one of the school buildings watching and waiting, while being careful to suppress his aura so as not to alert Li Xiao Lang of a magical presence. Kinomoto Sakura was now walking towards the library, alone. Li Xiao Lang was walking across the lawn towards the same building that he was in. Being that they were both the heirs to their clans, it wasn't surprising that they were in the same faculty, Business Administration. A strong foundation in business and economics was a common requirement for all clan heads.

Cong planned to wait until class began before making his first move. It would become a problem, after all, if Li Xiao Lang came to the rescue too quickly. Cong looked down at a copy of Xiao Lang's schedule, which he received by hacking into the student accounts while he was working in the administration office earlier that morning. His position there, as a student intern, was proving to be useful. Xiao Lang's class would be starting in 5 minutes.

Cong stood to leave the classroom, which he had chosen to wait in because there weren't any classes that were held there today. "Time to go see if you really are the Card Mistress," he stated to himself.

Meanwhile, Sakura had just arrived at the library. To her surprise she found that there weren't many people there. She shrugged it off, though, figuring that they were all in class. Yesterday when she had been here, it was during lunch, and everyone was eating at the café. It was now going on 1:00 in the afternoon and lunch was over.

Sakura found a table towards the back of the room, partly hidden by bookshelves. She laid her bag on the table and took a seat. Opening her book bag, she pulled out the book that she had been trying to read earlier, in her class. She only had a couple of more chapters to read, and she would be finished.

However, it never failed that as soon as she was engrossed in the book again, something happened to draw her attention away from reading. She was beginning to think that the Gods were against her finishing this book. From behind her the loud sound of something dropping to the floor caused her to jump in surprise. It wasn't just the sound of one thing falling, but the crashing sound of many objects at once, like a bookshelf had been dumped of its contents. Sakura looked over her shoulder, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

Shrugging it off with the assumption that one of the librarians had caused the ruckus, Sakura returned to her book. Just as she found the spot where she had left off, a book flew past her head and hit the wall in front of her. She stared, stunned, at the book as it fell onto the table. She wondered who would be so rude as to treat books like this.

Sakura spun around in her chair to look behind her, ready to scold whoever had thrown the book while wondering at the same time where the librarian's were that they missed witnessing such a disgraceful act. "Oi!" she hissed as quietly as she could while keeping a voice of authority.

To her surprise, she didn't see anyone. Standing from her chair, she began to walk past the bookshelves, searching for signs of anyone being around. The library was empty. Sakura looked around in astonishment. There had been a couple of students and a couple of librarians there when she had first arrived.

The sound of pages being ruffled caused her to spin back around. Yet, again, she didn't see anything. Her heart was starting to race with fear as the possibility of the library being haunted crossed her mind.

Sakura suddenly found herself being pummeled from above with a shower of books. She screamed, covered her arms over her head protectively, and made a mad dash back to her table, which she dove under for cover.

As she peeked out from her hiding spot she started to wonder if she wasn't going insane. Again, there was nothing there. There wasn't even a pile of books on the floor where she had just been standing.

Sakura looked cautiously in both directions from her spot under the table. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Daring to crawl back out from under the table, Sakura grabbed her things and started towards the nearest exit. When she rounded a corner around some bookshelves, though, she stopped dead in her tracks and stared in disbelief at the sight before her.

Both of the bookshelves on either side of her were empty. The books weren't lying in a pile on the floor, though. They were hovering in the air, blocking her escape route. Sakura took a step back and turned on her heels to run back in the other direction. She didn't make it far before she had to stop and watch in horror as the books from the shelves all around slid from their places to hover all around her.

It was all that Sakura could do not to panic. Was this the cause of spirits? She hadn't ever gotten over her fear of supernatural things. Her mind was screaming that she should run, but run where? Hovering books surrounded her.

The thought then occurred to her that she could use WINDY to clear a path for her escape. Reaching up for the star key charm on her necklace Sakura released her star wand with a single word command. "Release!"

The pink long handled wand, on top of which was an encircled star and from either side of the circle there grew a white feathered wing, magically grew into a staff that towered above Sakura's head. Throughout the years, as her magic had grown, so too had the star wand. "WINDY!" Sakura called out the name of one of her beloved cards. Thanks to the SUMMON card that she had managed to create on her own, the WINDY appeared magically above the staff. As the star in the center of the circle at the top of her staff began to spin and the wings on either side of the circle began to expand, Sakura's magic circle cast beneath her feet and a surge of power generated up through the staff to awaken the spirit of the card. The humanoid, feminine figure made up of the wind appeared and charged through the books, sending them flying in every direction and creating a path through which Sakura could run.

Elsewhere on campus, at the exact same moment that Sakura had released her wand, Syaoran's head jolted up from the syllabus that he had been reading in his class. With wide eyes of recognition he jumped up from his seat, ignoring the looks of shock that he received from his classmates and the professor. Without a moment to lose he leapt over his desk and flipped effortlessly over the desk beside him before bolting out of the door, leaving everyone to stare after him in shock and awe.

"Kuso!" Syaoran repeated over and over in his mind as he skillfully tumbled down 3 flights of stairs, making it to the bottom in record time. Dashing through the lobby he made it out the door before anyone who may have been in the lobby could register in their mind that they had seen him. Knowing that Sakura planned to be in the library, and feeling her magic the strongest, coming from that direction, Syaoran raced across the lawn to the path and in her direction. He had been feeling strange about something all day, but he couldn't put a finger on what it was.

Sakura nearly tripped out of the library doors but somehow managed to stay on her feet. Perhaps it had actually been WINDY who quickly lifted her under the arms to keep her from falling, she couldn't be sure. She continued to run forward without looking back until she found herself in Syaoran's protective arms.

"What happened!?" he nearly growled, watching the library doors, expecting that the attacker would be following her.

Sakura clung to him with a huge sense of relief that he was there. "T…the b…b…books," she stammered. "T…they were at…tacking me."

At that same moment, the other magic that Syaoran had felt suddenly dissipated. Cautiously, Syaoran walked towards the library doors. Sakura followed closely behind him, clinging onto the back of his shirt. When Syaoran opened the doors to enter, he was left momentarily speechless. "Um…didn't you say that the books were attacking you?" he looked over his shoulder at Sakura to ask.

Sakura took a peek under his arm into the center room of the library. Everything was as it should be. All of the books were on the shelves and there were a couple of students and a couple of librarians spread out through the room. Sakura then stared up at him with wide, confused eyes. "They were! I swear!" she said defensively.

Syaoran turned to wrap an arm around her waist and led her back through the doors and out onto the path. "I believe you," he said, keeping a secure hold on her. He didn't yet know who the source was, but he knew that he had felt another magical presence other then hers.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked as she was led away.

"Home," Syaoran answered.

"What about your class?" Sakura exclaimed. "You can't skip it!"

"We have more pressing issues to think about," he answered and continued to lead her down the path towards the parking garage.

From one of the library windows, Cong watched with slight annoyance as the woman that he swore would be his was being led away by another man. Now, he was certain that she was the Card Mistress and her power excited him. He was convinced that the Chin clan would benefit greatly at having her, but first, he would have to figure out a way to get rid of Li Xiao Lang.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Syaoran asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. They were now at his car and he had opened the passenger side door for her to slide into the seat.

"I'm fine," Sakura replied, for the hundredth time, as she started to put on her seat belt.

Syaoran closed her door and walked around to the driver's side and got into the car. He thought for a moment before turning the ignition on. "You said that you were attacked by the books," he repeated what she had told him earlier. Sakura nodded. "Yet, you didn't feel anything?" he inquired, focusing intensely on her face.

Sakura blinked and thought back to the attack. She looked down at her arms, which she expected to be bruising from how she had covered her head to protect herself when the books plummeted down over her, but there wasn't anything there. Had she not felt any pain at all during the attack? She really couldn't remember.


End file.
